A Lexicon for Educating the Whole Child (and Preparing the Whole Adult)

Print Issue

To enable thoughtful, engaged conversation on issues that matter to educators, parents, communities, and students, we need clarity on key educational terms and philosophies, such as character education, school climate, social-emotional learning, and 21st century skills. The ability to speak with greater precision and cohesion would help diverse stakeholder groups create policies and support practices that address the multifaceted and individualized learning needs of each (whole) child, regardless of geographic location, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and mental or physical abilities.

This issue of Policy Priorities examines the vocabulary that various stakeholders—including communities, administrators, teachers, parents, and students—use to discuss a whole child approach to education. It reviews similarities and differences among common terms, provides definitions used by specific educational associations, and calls for a building a whole child lexicon that all stakeholders can use.

Five characteristics of a sustainable, positive school climate (to foster youth development and learning necessary for a productive, contributing, and satisfying life in a democratic society), according to the National School Climate Center.